The Cream Rises Until It Sours

The Army and The Peter Principle

The recent controversy which is likely to assume a significant dimension in the Indian Army, concerns Lt Gen Dastane appealing to the Armed Forces Tribunal, regarding an injustice done to him by the Army / MoD, by applying different standards for promotion to the rank of Army Commander; when two vacancies existed on 01 Jun 2012. The two vacancies which were created on 31 May 2012, on account of the superannuation on retirement of the ex Chief Gen (retd) V K Singh and ex Army Commander Lt Gen Shankar Ghosh, were only filled up partially by promoting Lt Gen Sanjeev Chachra ,to be Army Commander Western Command. The other was kept vacant, as the officer Lt Gen Dalbir Suhag, who was in accordance with his service seniority to be promoted to Army Commander, was under a Discipline and Vigilance (DV) ban ordered by then Chief Gen (retd) V K Singh and hence could not be promoted. However, the ban was expectedly lifted by the present Chief Gen Bikram Singh on 08 jun 2012 and Lt Gen Suhag accordingly promoted on 15 Jun 2012, to be Army Commander Eastern Command. Lt Gen  Dastane, who is currently posted as Deputy Chief in the tri service, Integrated Defence Staff in Delhi feels aggrieved on the matter, as it was he who should have been promoted to Army Commander along with Lt Gen Sanjeev Chachra, since Lt Gen Dalbir Suhag was under a DV ban and thus not eligible for promotion. The perceived inequity assumes a larger significance when Lt Gen Dastane sees an opportunity for him to become the next Chief of the Indian Army, when the post falls vacant on 31 July 2014. But for this to happen, it is imperative that he be promoted to be an Army Commander first, with seniority fixed ahead of Lt Gen Dalbir Suhag. Should that happen, then given Lt Gen Dastane’s date of birth and new seniority , will make him the only eligible officer to become Chief, in accordance with the government’s policy  of seniority than merit, to promote and appoint the next incumbent. This is the whole background to the petition filed with the Armed Forces Tribunal in August 2012, by Lt Gen Dastane and which awaits a judgement / decision.

 The vitiated environment which consumed the army in the past year, when Gen (retd) V K Singh was up in arms against the government, for not upholding his prayer related to the fixing of his date of birth as given in his matriculation certificate and which compelled him to seek legal recourse in the matter; was regrettable to say the least. The hurt was further compounded when the court too ducked its responsibility by not giving a judgement in the matter and instead prevailed upon the petitioner to withdraw his case, but not without pandering to the petitioner’s ego by applauding his honour, integrity and military reputation. This cloaked affront shoved the officer to unleash his strategy to hit back and embarrass and expose the government, as also the past leadership of the army, in whatsoever manner he could. The army’s succession plan as insinuated by him, made very serious allegations on the integrity of his predecessor, by imputing a communal motive to him, in masterminding ‘Operation Moses’ which paved the way for the present Chief to head the army. There were many stratagems which were applied by ‘Team V K Singh’ then, to discredit the present Chief, so as to deny to him his just promotion and appointment; but unfortunately it did not work that way and the rest as they say is history. The Government and the Ministry of Defence, which has adopted a policy of promoting the senior most Army Commander in service to head the army, when the appointment of its Chief falls vacant; except in the case of the erudite and integrous Lt Gen (retd) S K Sinha who was superseded even when he was declared as the Chief designate and moved from Western Command to Army HQ as Vice Chief, for reasons other than professional competence: has thrown up the possibility of an internecine war among the army’s Generals, as in this instant case of  Lt Gen Dastane wanting his just share of the pie.

The reasons for Lt Gen Dalbir Suhag  being put on a DV ban in the twilight of Gen (retd) V K Singh’s tenure as Chief, could be argued as being deserving of the action to being specious with an implied agenda of manipulating the line of succession, to favour someone. The beneficiary of this game plan would have been none other than the Western Army Commander, Lt Gen Sanjeev Chachra, who is junior to Lt Gen Suhag and would have veritably benefited, if promoted and appointed Army Commander before the latter. It reads out like this; with Suhag being under a DV ban and two vacancies existing as on 01 Jun 2012 for Army Commander, Chachra being the next senior in line would have been promoted and Dastane as the next in line filled up the remaining vacancy. With the present Chief General Bikram Singh, superannuating on retirement on 31 July 2014, Chachra would be the next in line for Chief. However, it did not happen as such and the MoD in view of the DV ban on Suhag, did not promote Chachra, which it should have in all fairness to him and in keeping with its policy as hitherto fore. The removal of the DV ban on Suhag was a given when General Bikram assumed the office of Chief and he continued to maintain his seniority as Army Commander over Chachra. The plan to manipulate the succession line once again, as was earlier alleged under the garb of ‘Operation Moses’ was put paid to by the army and the MoD, who probably saw through the shenanigan of the DV ban on Suhag with an ulterior motive and countered it by not promoting  anyone to  Army Commander.

Irrespective of the virtues or else the foibles of the dramatis personae in this new drama, which is now unfolding in the corridors of South Block, the MoD must take its due share of blame in going along with its policy of choosing a Chief, on the exclusive criteria of seniority alone from among the serving Army Commanders. This arrangement and system is loaded with the possibility of being manipulated by a scheming and more than willing hierarchy, which under the patronage of its Chief can decide on a line of succession, as has been alleged by ‘Team V K Singh’ earlier.  Professional armies the world over have relatively better systems for selecting their Chief, wherein seniority is a lowly placed indicator to enable the government and the Cabinet Committee for Appointments to approve the choice.  Has our government and the army not heard of the ‘Peter  Principle’, which espouses  the fundamental that in a hierarchical organization every employee will get promoted to his level of incompetency; “The cream rises until it sours”. Therefore, it will be prudent to dig deep and thick into a clutch of three star general officers who have had the required experience to make a claim for the top slot, rather than leave the choice on the accident of ‘Date of Birth’, alone. The current controversy which is likely to precipitate into something undesirable in the senior most echelons of the army, is steeped in the fallout of the seniority alone principle and two years residual service procedure adopted by the army, to become an Army Commander.

It is my fervent appeal to the Military Secretary (MS), who is competent and capable to assimilate the nuances of the existing system, which does not respect competence but instead leans on the crutches of a hackneyed, and play safe policy; that insults merit to staff some of its Army Commanders and by implication the Chief, as well, to table a White Paper in the bi - annual Army Commander’s conference to address the existing stupidity. Recent instances in the past involving Chiefs bear testimony to my postulate and cry for course correction. Will he pick up the gauntlet and endeavour to make an enduring contribution to improve the health of the Army???

Brigadier (retd) S D Dangwal

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